Pop Perspective: Fifth Harmony’s “Work From Home” Rated And Reviewed

At Idolator, the editors share a passion for high-quality pop. Occasionally, our tastes align. Other times, not so much! So, in the spirit of debate, we’ve developed a recurring feature called Pop Perspective. Basically, all of the editors dissect a particularly noteworthy pop event, and give it a rating out of 10.

That way you’re getting a full spectrum of views and we can all vent. (It’s cheaper than therapy!) The latest pop moment to be dragged under the Idolator microscope is Fifth Harmony’s new single “Work From Home,” which is the first taste of their sophomore LP 7/27. Is the Ty Dolla $ign-assisted anthem another “Worth It”-like smash or does it slightly miss the mark? See our thoughts below.

Robbie Daw — 7/10

Finally, a 2016 pop song with “Work” in the title worth getting behind. Given time, this should erase any memory of Rihanna’slimp and tuneless effort from earlier this year.

As mentioned in an earlier writeup, the “Work From Home” video is a campy construction-site endeavor that flips the table on Fifth Harmony’s male co-stars by making them the objectified ones, as 5H taunt the guys throughout and twerk mischievously. In other words, Fifth Harmony, at least for this video, appear to now be in full control of their collective sexuality and wielding it as they choose — something right out of the Madonna Pop Guidebook — rather than relying on it solely to sell records.

The song itself is probably the quintet’s most solid single to date, and no one should be surprised when this becomes one of the biggest hits of the warmer months ahead.

Carl Williott — 6/10

We live in a world of DJ Mustard ripoffs, but the music box melodies on this beat separate it from the pack somewhat. And while it’s the type of thing custom-fit for Ty, the 5H ladies manage to make it their own, with subtle harmonizations adding some texture and a pure diva crescendo to close out the song.

But…if people were criticizing Rihanna’s “Work” chorus as being lazy, then a “work x 7” refrain in the wake of that song deserves some potshots, lest we all look like a bunch of hypocrites.

Mike Wass — 7.5/10

Who signed off on the video? It evokes the kind of secondhand embarrassment usually reserved for watching someone walk around the club with toilet paper stuck to their shoe. Thankfully, the track is a sleek and sexy bop with on-trend production (courtesy of Ammo and DallasK) and an insidiously catchy chorus. I’m also not bothered by the comparisons with RiRi’s latest. Stop acting like Kelly Rowland, Ciara and Iggy Azalea weren’t already work, work, working years ago.

It’s fascinating to witness the evolution of Fifth Harmony. From the pure pop of “Miss Movin’ On” to the hip hop-influence “Worth It,” these ladies never repeat themselves. After hearing “Work From Home,” I’m cautiously optimistic about 7/27 being more consistent and dynamic than debut LP Reflection.

AVERAGE SCORE: 6.8/10

What would you rate “Work From Home” out of 10? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!